Ventilator for water closets



Jan. 22, 1957 c. J. MAJAUSKAS 2,778,933

VENTILATOR FOR WATER cLosETs Filed July l1, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan.22, 1957 c. J. MAJAUSKAS 2,778,033

VENTILATOR FOR WATER CLOSETS Filed July 1l, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 5VENTILATOR FOR WATER CLOSETS Charles J. Majauskas, Chicago, Ill.

Application July 11, 1955, Serial No. 521,202

1 Claim. (Cl. 4-213) The present invention relates to ventilators forwater closets and nds particular application in combination with a watercloset system that includes a conventional water closet tank.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a system foreciently eliminating `the obnoxious odors and accompanying germs thatappear in a closet bowl during use and it is proposed to provide such asystem that is compatible with and complements conventional Water closetequipment.

Briefly, the system provides facilities for exhausting the odors fromthe water closet bowl by means of an electrically driven blower thatpreferably is automatically initiated at the time that the seat ring islowered and the closet is put in use. ln addition, the system isprevented from functioning Whenever the seat cover is also lowered andthe closet is used as a seat.

For simplicity, the exhaust facilities utilize a portion of the watersupply system which, of course, normally communicates with theatmosphere through the overow pipe. Effective suction is maintained whendissipating the odors by terminating such communication and for thispurpose suitable sealing means are provided for closingA the top of theoverflow pipe. The sealing means operate in synchronism with the exhaustfacilities.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of'this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed lto designate like parts throughout thesame, i

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the entire system with parts of thewater tank apparatus shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a front sectional View through the water tank showing theposition of the parts when the Ventilator is not operating; Y

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating the position of theparts when the ventilator isin operation;

United States Patent() Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view ofthevalve and leverage system for closing the top of the overflow pipe;and

Fig. 5 is an elementary diagram of the electric control circuit for thepresent invention.

Conventional system The general arrangement of the entire `water closetsystem is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 and it utilizes standard equipmentto the maximum possible extent. To facilitate a ready understanding ofthe operation and adaptability of the ventilator of the presentinvention to existing water closet designs and constructions, it isconvenient to first point out the components of the system which may beconventional.

The water closet tank is designated 37 and communicates with a closetbowl 10 through a flush water pipe .35. The bowl 10 in turn is connectedto a vent .stack 11"dis posed behind the building wall 69 by means of asuitable connecting pipe 100.

The conventional components of the water tank include A2,778,033Patented Jan. 22, 1957 a fresh water supply pipe 102 which supplieswater to a iloat valve 103 that is usually ofthe vacuum breaker type andis operated by a oat 104 for regulating the water supply for both thewater closet tank 37 and the water closet bowl 10. The oat valve 103 hasa pair of outlet pipes, the larger of which 105 supplies water directlyto the water tank and the smaller of which 106 bypasses the flush valve108 and feeds directly `into the flush water pipe 35. As shown in Figs.2 and 3, the upper end of the overflow pipe 107 is approximately oneinch below the vacuum breaker type float valve.

Flushing is accomplished in the usual manner, there being provided asuitable handle 111 for actuating a trip lever 112 which in turn isconnected to the llush valve 108 that normally rides in a valve seat 109to shutoffv lcomrnunication between the Water tank 37 and closet bowl10. As shown in Fig. l the flush valve 108 is guided in its up and downvalve opening and closing movements by a cylindrical sleeve 113 which isintegrally carried by a bracket 114 that may preferably be connected toan upstanding exhaust pipe 115.

After a flushing operation is completed and the water supply in the tank37 has been substantially depleted, the float 104 will be ridingadjacent the bottom of the tank with the float valve 103 open; thuspermitting the supply of Water in both` the bowl and the tank to bereplenished. 'Ihe sizes of the outlet supply pipes 105 and 106 areproportioned in accordance with the storage capacities of the tank andthe b owl respectively so that when the water in the tank reaches'itsproper level and causes 'the oat to shut off the float valve 103, thewater in the bowl will simultaneously reach its proper level. Theforegoing conventional arrangement is well known and needs no Specificdescription of ventilator The invention provides an electricallyractuated `exhaust system for removing odors from the closet bowl anddirecting them to the vent stack 11. Aventilator unit 7 is shown mounteddirectly above the water closet tank and is supplied with power from asuitable electrical source 117. The ventilator unit comprises a housing12 for mounting a blower 13, a motor 14 for driving'the blower, and avent valve fitting 15"for connecting the exhaust pipe 115 to the ventstack 11;

The blower 13 preferably of the impeller type is directly mounted on themotor 14 which is supported on a base spaced above the bottom of thehousing 12. The blower 13 has its exhaust 20 extending rearwardly fromthe housing 12 through the building wall 69 for connection with the ventstack 11.

The motor 14 is a conventional fractional horsepower motor adapted forsmall units of this kind and hasthe usual condenser associatedtherewith.v The vent valve fitting 15 is directly connected to theintake 21 of the -blower 13 and has a nipple 25 extending laterally forconnection to a right angle fitting 11,8 which in turn is connected tothe exhaust pipe 115. To accommodate the exhaust pipe 115 a slot 98 isformed in the lid 99 for the water tank 37.

'It will be seen that an exhaust path for the gases in the -closet bowlis established from the bowl 10 through v the flush water pipe 35, anauxiliary pipe 119 in the bottom of the tank 37 and connecting 4thellush water pipe 35 to both the overflow pipe 107 and the exhaust.connected to the vent stack '11,

' atmosphere.

The circuit diagram for the motor supply circuit is shown in Fig. 5 andincludes a normally open seat ring operated switch 67 and a normallyclosed seat cover operated switch 76. The switch 67 is closed only whenthe seat ring is in its down position and the cover switch 76 is closedwhenever the cover is not in its fully down position. Since the switchesare connected in series, both must be closed in order to complete acircuit for the motor and according to the present arrangement thiscondition obtains only during normal usage of the water Closet. Themeans for accomplishing this switch actuation is indicated generally inFig. l wherein the seat ring 62 and seat cover 84 are pivotallysupported on a shaft 49 which is carried in sleeve bearings that areoiset from a pair of chambered posts, one of which 47 is shown securedto the upper rim of the bowl. A pair of brackets pivotally connect theseat ring 62 to the shaft 49 and in addition include rearwardlyextending arms 61 that are forced downwardly by springs (not shown)which are contained within the chambered posts. The normal actionofthese springs maintains the seat ring in the partially open positionillustrated in Fig. l. A slight additional pressure causes the spring toyield so that the seat ring may be lowered to its position of usewherein the arm 61 actuates the switch 67 which is housed in one of thechambered posts.

^ rearwardly extending portion adapted to actuate switch 76 which ishoused in the other chambered post.

The specific construction for accommodating and operating the switches67 and 76 in the chambered posts is illustrated and described in mycopendingU. S. patent application Serial No. 399,309, tiled December 21,1953, since matured into Patent No. 2,759,197, dated August 21, 1956,and the disclosure thereof so far as it is not inconsistent isspeciiically incorporated herein by reference. While other arrangementsfor operating the switches are possible, these specific constructionsare preferred. Reference may also be had to my said patent for a moredetailed illustration of the construction of the ventilator unit 7;however, the unit shown therein iinds particular application inconnection with a modied water closet ventilator system and does notinclude all the features of the present unit.

It may be seen from my said patent that a solenoid17 was employed forcontrolling a valve located in the vent valve ttiug 15 and as shown inFig. 5 this solenoid is connected in parallel with the motor 14 so thatit operates simultaneously therewith. The Ventilating system of thepresent form utilizes a slightly larger ventilator unit than is shown inFigs. 4 and 5 of my said patent, and this larger unit accommodates anadditional solenoid 120 also c onnected in parallel withthe motor 14 andoperable slmultaneously therewith. Solenoid 121i elfects the closing lof'thetopl of the overtiow pipe 1117 during the exhaust operation and thisarrangement maintains a proper amount of suction for exhausting theodors from the bowl. The

armature 121 of this solenoid slides between and is supported on theparallel arms of a bracket 139 and is Connected to a lift rod 122 whichin turn is connected to a leverage system generally designated as 123that operfates a suitable valve 12a for closing the top of the overflowpipe and maintaining the negative pressure developed by the blower 13.

The functioning of the ventilator is best understood -from a comparisonof Figs. 2 and 3. ln Fig. 2 the parts are shown in their normalarrangement when the ventilator is not in use and a weight 125 issuspended from the leverage system for raising the valve 124 andmaintaining the overflow pipe in communication with the Fig. 3illustrates the parts in their valve seating position during the timethat the ventilator is in operation and the solenoid 120 -is energized.,In this case the valve 124 is held firmly seated by the action of thelift rod 122 on the leverage system.

In detail (see Fig. 4) the leverage system consists of a support bracket126 suitably clamped as at 127 to the exhaust pipe and adapted topivotally support one end 130 of an L-shaped link 129 which is connectedto one end of an intermediate link 133, the opposite end of which ispivotally connected to a downwardly extending arm 131 of the valve leveritself 132. At an intermediate point the arm 131 is pivoted on a bracket134 that is also suitably clamped on the exhaust pipe 115. As shown, thelift rod 122 may be connected to the L-shaped lever 129 at any one of anumber of spaced points for adjusting the leverage system to the travelof the armature 121 of solenoid 120.

It should be appreciated that the leverage system is smooth and reliablein operation both in assuring tight seating of thevalve 124 under theurging of solenoid 120 and in assuring ready release of the valve underthe urging of the weight 125.

The use of a vacuum breaker type iioat valve 103 involves the problemthat the negative pressure created by the blower 13 in portions of thewater supply system might produce undesired actuation of the vacuumbreaker. To avoid this possibility the supply pipe 1116 is arranged withan air intake port 110 located adjacent to the vacuum breaker and atapproximately the height of the top of the overiiow pipe 107. By thismeans the outlet side of the Vacuum breaker is always maintained atapproximately atmospheric pressure, and while there is a tendency forthe atmospheric air entering port 11G to impair the suction action ofthe blower, the port 110 and supply pipe 106 are of such small sizerelative to the exhaust system that little actual reduction occurs. Thiseiiect is further minimized by connecting the pipe 106 adjacent thebottom 0f the overow pipe 1117 to provide a circuitous path for theincoming air.

Tests have proven the eiectiveness of this arrangement and theventilator of the present invention has eiciently removed alldisagreeable odors without causing undesired actuations of the vacuumbreaker.

Operation The present system is automatically operative to exhaust gasesfrom a water closet bowl while the bowl is in use and is automaticallyrendered inoperative during such times'as the bowl is not in use. lnaddition, the bowl may be used as an additional seat without actuatingthe ventilator. The above operation is accomplished by a pair of seriesconnected switches 67 and 76, one of which is closed oniy when the seatring is in its position of use and the other of which is closed exceptwhen the cover is also in its lowermost position and is acting as aseat. The. exhaust gases are conducted from the bowl 10 through theflush water pipe 35, the exhaust pipe 11S, the ventilator valve fitting15, the blower 13, and the pipe 20 to the vent stack 11.

The suction eiect required for eiiieiently exhausting gases from thewater closet bowl is maintained by tenninating communications betweenthe top of the overow pipe 107 and the atmosphere by means of a solenoidac- .tuated valve 124 which acts in synchronism with the sucobnoxiousodors and accompanying germs from the room.

It should be understood that the description of the preferred form ofthe invention is for the purpose of com- -plyingwith section-112, Title35, of the U. S. Code and that the invention is limited only by thescope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device comprising a closet bowl, a water tank having an inlet and adischarge outlet communicating with said bowl, a valve for controllingdischarge of water from said tank to said outlet, and an overow pipehaving its upper .end open to atmosphere and having its lower end indirect communication with said discharge outlet; suction means forexhausting odors from said bowl, said suction means including a controlunit mounted above the water tank and having an electrically operatedsolenoid and an electrically operated exhaust blower in communicationwith an exhaust pipe extending into said tank for direct communicationwith said discharge outlet, a leverage system mounted within said tankfor actuating a valve for closing the upper end of said overow pipe,yieldable means .engaging said leverage system for continuously urgingsaid valve open, said solenoid being connected to said leverage systemand adapted when energized for ac- -tuating said valve closed, and meansfor actuating said solenoid and said blower in synchronism.

References Cited in the file of this patent i UNITED STATES PATENTS980,471 Zenke Jan. 3, 1911 1,342,716 Johnston June 8, 1920 1,362,290Gritton Dec. 14, 1920 1,702,968 Heinrich Feb. 19, 1929 2,126,131Orebaugh Aug. 9, 1938 2,297,935 Baither Oct. 6, 1942 2,603,797 BaitherJuly 22, 1952

